SECT. I. Of the fourth Year of Christ's Ministry, and generally of his Actings in that Year.
THis was the last year of Christ's ministry, in which were thousands of passages: The Evangelist John relates more of Christ this year than in all the former; and if I studied not brevity, we might dwell more on his actings for us this year, than hitherto we have done from the beginning of his ministry. Now it was that he was tranfigured; now it was that he instituted that Sacrament called the Lords Supper; now it was that after supper he made his farewell Sermon, rarely mixt of sadness and joyes, and studed with mysteries as with Emeralds; now it was, that after Sermon he blessed his Disciples, and prayed for them, and then having sung an Hymn, he went out into the Mount of Olives, where in a Garden he began his suffe∣rings. On these passages I had thought to have enlarged, but I see the Book swells un∣der my hands, and now that I am drawing near Christ's sufferings, I shall only touch one point, which hitherto I have pretermitted, and is the most comprehensive of any passage I can touch.
Many Questions are about the Holiness, or Righteousn••ss, or Obedience of Christ. As whether it belong to us? And whether it be the matter of our justification? And whe∣ther Christ was bound to observe the law of works as a Mediator, or only as a meer man? And whether we are not justified by the passive Righteousness of Christ only? and seeing now we are discovering Christs actings in reference to our souls salvation, we cannot pass this main business, whereof much relates to Christ's life, as well as to his conception, or birth, or death, or sufferings.